Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-09-27
Calls aud Sketehes.
A STEADFAST FLAME.

The time referred to was near 20 years
ago. | was then a private secretary or
general iactotum of the millionaire, John
Rawlinson. How and where he picked
me- up and attached me to him il of no
CONSEQUENCE, for the story has no relation
to myself. Yet the episode may be of
some value as showing something Of him,
1t happened at the Parker House. Bos-
ton. had come to the city to look up a
! rich relative, from whom had reason to
expect profitable employment. Standing
at The desk ! registered in that large,
round back hand that is part of me.
turned to step away and saw that heavy
man with dull-looking face, relieved by
piercing little gray eyes, had been look
ing over my shoulder.
''Holds on, SIR" he said. 81 want to
see you"
He seized the pen, scored off the name
John Rawlnson" in a Grabbed hand,
and asked me to step into the reading
room with him.
He motioned me to chair and took
one himself Then. without word, he
stared at me tor full minute.
The odditv of the thing struck me.
laughed.
You'll know me when you see me
again, hope" was my remark.
You write just as old Max Bert used
TO-" he said. Max was my confidential
clerk years ogo He fell into the lake at
Chicago ard was drowned. | want you
to write my letters. Who are you, any
way?"
| told him.
Poor fellow; no relatives; college
bred -ehl'
mo relations but the uncle came here
to look for, and fm not sure that he will
acknowledge me- / never saw college
and as for poverty-when | pay for my
dinner, don't know where | shall get
another"
The stranger deliberately ended his in
spection OF me.
Il rather like your face; | certainly
like your account OF yourself. | haven't
any relatives. either, they do man no
good | hate colleges, because they take
bright young fellows and make conct it I'd
asses out of them. / started poor, and |
like to see others do the same, DO you
want good employment"
above ali things sir"
| u give 1bu EcOO INC III 81 JC"tt' "iN
pay your expenses to 90 with me, write
for me and attend 10 my interest gener
ally"
/ accepted the offer on the spot.
You ought to understand, sir that
I'm called eccentric; and when man
worth a million gets that name, there
must be something in it. And then I'm
travelling about all the time. You'll &c
W here 90. Does this change you
mlnd?'
mo, SIR
Very we'll Come in to dinner. pa,
the bills"
II.
Before the end of that year we ha(
iourneyed many thousands OF miles by
railroad, steamboat. and stage in thirteen
states. NV business connections witt
him lasted almost three years. Durin4
all that time never discovered that Johr
Rawlinson mad permanent home. W.
stopped at hotels. | never knew him tt
make visit to any person except strictly
in the way Of business. | soon began tC
see that he was avoiding the people who
had known him in past years. He never
breathed a word to me OF his previous life
nor did he encourage me to talk ofanythln9
but business. | found abundant occupa-
ton in writing his letters. reading and
brieting up his mail, which followed him
all over the country. and taking careful
notes of all the information that he col
lected. His business was entirely the
seeking OF promising investments in real
estate. | have understood since then,
some Of his shrewdness and foresight.
| u zens of thriving cities exist now, where
p that day was nothing but the virgin
| forest or prairie; very few of them but
were marked IN advanced by Mr. Rawlin-
sons keen eye as promising sites; and
have no doubt that these timely invest
ments have increased his millions ten fold
One day at hotel in a southwestern
city gentleman accosted him, spoke his
name, and offered his hand. Mr.. Rawlin
son returned his SALVATION inditferently
made some casual remark, and turned
abruptly away.
| followed the stranger out on the street
Tell me something Of that man yor
spoke to-" said. II have been in hi
employ tor months. and can't learn any
thing about him"
He was grain operator in Chicago
They said that he had made money there
and knew enough to quit with it. That!
all know of him."
Hasn't he had some troubleP '
"Some family difficulty, believe. Hi
wife died. If | remember right. But
can't recall anything of it,
When business did not occupy him, ant
often on our journeys he was habituall,
plunged into the depths OF absorbing
thought. At such times his face wouIC
assume q sombre cast. and an expression
of the deepest melancholy would over
spread it. But his reflections were KEEP
} to himself He gave me no conidenc,
outside of business affairs, in which wa
implicitly trusted.
The end OF employment was reache,
through a curious adventure, which mus
be told in detail.
. We are in half-fedged town in Mis-
souri,. 1t IS great city now. The rail
roads had then just commenced to reacl
/ out for il. and its 'boomn was but Midi,
started, Everything was in kind o
chaos. There were ungraded and mudd,
streets, with brick aud plank sidewalks
and no sidewalks at all; there were pro
miscuous stocks of goods from st. Loui
, tumbled in retail stores together to NEE